Made in Virginia 2012: Legend Brewery Brown Ale, Richmond

Legend Brown Ale

Legend Brown Ale

Virginia is not just for oenophiles. Increasingly, it’s for beer connoisseurs, too. Get your microbrew fix at Legend Brewing Co., where all beers are unpasteurized and crafted exclusively from two-row and specialty barley, malt, hops, water and yeast. Owner Tom Martin founded the brewery in 1993 because he wanted to make craft brew beers in the traditional European style. Now Legend houses 30 barrels and 47 active tanks. Meanwhile, the pub in Richmond’s Manchester district can seat nearly 400. It also provides premium beers to restaurants all over the state, including Capital Ale House and Tobacco Company, both in Richmond, Virtue Feed & Grain in Alexandria and Byers Street Bistro in Staunton.

Legend offers the same six beers year-round, along with seasonal specialties. Their standout beer, however, is Brown Ale—a full-bodied, mahogany, British-style brew that is also their most popular, comprising half of all of Legend’s sales. Brown Ale balances the flavors of sweet caramel, coffee, molasses and toasted nuts over fruity undertones.

“I’d always been a Newcastle man,” says Dave Gott, Legend’s vice president of operations, “but when I first tried Brown Ale in 1994, I was excited about getting something of that same quality right here in Virginia.” Brown Ale is available in 22-ounce bottles for $4.50, six-packs for $8.99 and 12-packs for $12.99. LegendBrewing.com